Improvement in grain-harvesters



UNITED STATES T. N. LUPToN, o F wrNoHEsTER, vrRGiNiA.

IMPRO'VElVlENTv IN GRAIN-HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 12,824, dated May 8, 1855.

' 'Fo all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, T. N. LUPTON, of Winchester, in the county of Frederick and State nf Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Reaper and Harvesting-Machine; and I do hereby declare that the followingr is a full, clear, and exact description of the saine, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part ot' this specification, in which- Figure lis a plan or top view of my improyed machine. Fig. 2 is a front view of the cutter-shaftand fingers. Fig.3`is a transverse view of the cutter-shaft and linger-bar.

Similar letters of reference indicated-corresponding parts in the several gures.

The nature of myinvention consists in apeculiar cutting device for cutting the grass or standing grain, and which device will be hereinafter fully shown anddescrib'ed.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, l will proceed to describe it.

A, Fig. 1, represents a rectangular frame, thel back part of which is provided with a bot- Torn, B, the side and end pieces of the frame forming sides to the bottom B, similar to a box. The front part of the frame A has a transverse shaft, G, upon it, on which the driving-wheels D D arc placed,'said,shaft C serving as their axle.` On the inner end of the shaft or axle U there is hung a toothed wheel, E, and also a pulley, F. lhe toothed wheel E gears into a pinion, G, which is hung` ou a small shaft, H, parallel with the shaft or axle C, and havi ing on one end a bevel-pinion, I, which gears into a corresponding pinion, J, on one end of a shaft, K, which runs in bearings aI ,attached to the inner side piece ofthe frame A,`said shaft K being parallel with the side pieces of the frame A. d

L is a rectangular frame, one end of which is secured to the shaft K, and consequently to the frame A, bymeans of said' shaft passing through holes or eyes in metal platesb b, attached to the ends of the front and back bars, c c, of the frame L, which is therefore allowed to move up or down independently of the frame A, as the shaft Ktits loosely in the holes or eyes of said plates b` b. At the back part of the frame A `there is a wheel, A', and also two Wheels, B', at the outer end of the frame L.

These wheels merely support the frames.

Directly in front of the front bar, c, of the frame L there is a shaft,M. (see Figs. l and 2,) the ends of which work in suitable bearings in the frame L. At the inner end ofthe shai't M there is hung a bevelpinion,N, which gears into a corresponding` pinion, O, on the shaft K. rlhe shaft M i-s provided with cutters d, any proper number being used. The form ofthese cutters is shown in Fig. 3. Each cutter is formed of two blades, which project an equal length from opposite sides of the shaft; or the cutters ina-y be described as being ofyoval or elliptical form, and the shaft M passing through their centers. y

To the front bar, c, of the frame L, which maybe termed a Lfrisser-bar, there are secured two sets ot' fingers, P Q., the fingers l? projecting over the shaft M and the fingers Q underneath it, both sets ot' fingers projecting outward about the saine distance beyond the shaft M, as shown in Fig. 3. The upper ngers, P, are formed of stout wireor iron rods, bent, as clearly shown in Fig. l, so that each finger will inclose two cutters, the front ends of the'fmgers being bent so as to form apoint. rlhe cutters within the fingers are. nea-r theinner surfaces of thewire or rods forming the sides of the fingers, a cutter being at each side. (See Fig. l.) The lower lingers,Q, are formed of metal Vplates pointed at their ends. The lingers Q are so attached to the finger-barcas to be on a line between the upper fingers, P,

(see Fig. 2,) and the wires or rods forming the sides of the upper fingers, P, project a short distance over the sides or edges of thelower fingers, Q. The cutters d are placed in a reverse position on the shaft M-that is, every alternatecuttcr is placed at right angles with the intermediate ones.

R is an'endless apron which works over suitable rollers, two, e e, at the outer end of the frame L, and the other,f, on the shaft K. (See Figs. 1 and 2.-)

S is an inclined endless apron, the lower end ot' which works over a roller attached to the frame A underneath the frame L. The upper end of the apron Works over a roller, g, on a small table or platform, T, attached to the bottom Bat the back part of the frame A.

U is a belt which passes over a pulley, h, at one end of the roller g, and over a pulley, i, on the shaft K.

V, Fig. l, is a belt which passes over the pulley F at the end of the shaft or axle G, and

over a pulleygj, on the reel-shaft lV. The reel X ou said shaft is of usual construction, supported on proper framing, and requires no par-- ticular description.

Operation-The team is attached tothe front part of the frame A, and as the machine is drawn along the cutter-shaft M is made to rotate b v means of the bevel-pinions N O, the shaft K being rotated b v the bevel-pinions l J. The endless aprons R S are operated by the belt U, which passes over the pulleys h t', and the reel X heilig rotated by the belt V, which passes over the pulleys F j. rlhe grass or standing grain passes between the upper tingers, P, and the lower tngers,Q,and as the lower fingers are placed in a line between the upper fingers, and the edges ofthe two sets of lingers slightly overlap each other, the grass or grain is inclined or hent over at an angle and brought Within the sweep of' the cutters and cut, (see Fig. 2,) which clearly shows the cutting process, the grass orgrain being shown in red. The reel performs the usual office of keeping the grass or standing` grain to the cutters.

The above cutting device is simple, not liaable to get out of repair,\vill work eftuctually, is not iable to clog,and can be manufactured economically.

The cut grain is carried to the box B by the endless aprons R S, and may be bound in sheaves ou the bottom B by an attendant, and then thrown on the ground. 1n cutting grass the endless aprons may be dispensed with.

I do not claim the endless apron R nor the inclined apron S, as they have been previously T. N. LUPTON.

Witnesses:

J. R. LUPToN, W. G. RUSSELL. 

